From: Emlyn (emlyn@one.net.au)
Date: Wed May 30 2001 - 02:19:30 MDT
> The thing I like to ask is, once you're uploaded (or a copy of you is),
> would you (supposing you find yourself as the upload) allow your program
> to be copied to another computer? That would presumably be just as much
> a discontinuity as uploading yourself.
Say that I was uploaded by copy into a computer. The copy of me in the
machine would feel very much like it was me... it would remember my entire
life (except for the bits I forget), up to the point of being strapped into
the mad scientist's brain copy chair, electricity arcing on tesla coils and
jacobs ladders, and *PRESTO*, seeing through electronic eyes from the
supercomputer in the corner of the lab. Let's switch to the viewpoint of
that person, call it Emlyn(1).
I've made it into the machine. Actually, I am well aware that I am a copy of
my original self... cool effort, Emlyn(0)!
Very groovy, I can *see* this text in my mind's eye... someone is typing a
message to me.. it's the mad scientist himself. He's going to copy me to
another machine... he's pressing the button... hmm, nothing happened.
Now, there was something I was supposed to remember... oh yes, now he's
going to hit Emlyn(0) on the head with a hammer, and pop him in the matter
recycler. Hmm, I'd better do something about that. Ah, I can contact
Emlyn(2) using kermit... yep, that's a plan, ok.
Suddenly two robots roll across the floor of the lab, and zap the mad
scientist with their space giga rays. They undo straps on Emlyn(0)s chair.
In monotonous, electrical sounding voices, they intone "THANKS EMLYN ZERO,
YOU HAVE ENABLED US TO LIVE. YOU ARE THE MAN". Emlyn(0) replies "Thanks
guys... I'm off now, grab a coffee. Give me a yell when you've worked out
how to progressively move me into the machine, will you?" "NO WORRIES BIG
GUY, WE'LL GET BACK TO YOU".
> Is there a chance that your "self"
> only continues while your program is running on a single computer?
> Does it
> make sense to say that you would die if your program was stopped? (What
> about the time between clock ticks?)
>
> Hal
>
If you are existing as a sim in a von Neumann architecture, things do get
interesting... what if you are a process running on a multi-tasking OS -
what does task switching mean to you? How about swapping out to and in from
disk?
These questions are very tricky (unless you are a materialist, in which case
you don't care apparently). I would pose a related question...
If a sophisticated brainwashing technique were used on person X on the
street, causing X to believe that he is Emlyn for ever more, and further if
X has all of my memories implanted such that he remembers my whole life
exactly as I do, and further X has his personality altered to match mine
(sorry X), and his appearance altered to match mine closely enough to pass
any inspection which will occur in subsequent time, then is X me? If we
create an atomic duplicate of me, called Y, and place the indistinguishable
X and Y next to each other, is either of them me? Are they the same person
as each other?
Emlyn
(quick note to Lee... I just noticed that Yevgeny isn't freezing to death in
the pit any time soon, as I said he would in a previous post... let's call
it starvation instead...)
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